Ancient Species, Ancient Knowledge: Riki Parata on What Kanakana Can Teach Us
Riki Parata's (Ngāi Tahu, Te Āti Awa ki Whakarongotai) mahi with Hokonui Rūnanga is dedicated to learning more about and protecting an ancient taonga that remains poorly understood: kanakana, also known as piharau or lamprey.
Riki is committed to bringing together mātauranga Māori and Western science to find practical solutions for restoring the health of te taiao. At the Endangered Species National Hui, he shared the threats facing this amazing species, and the work underway to protect it.
Kanakana are jawless, boneless fish that have lived in the rivers of Aotearoa for more than 360 million years, predating the dinosaurs. When migrating upstream to spawn, they use their powerful sucking mouths to climb steep waterfalls, travelling more than 100km on their journey upriver.
Kanakana have been valued as mahinga kai for generations, woven into the tikanga and whakapapa of iwi across Aotearoa.
Riki explained that while millions of kanakana once travelled up sites like Mataura Falls, the species is now classified as nationally vulnerable and declining. Like many of our migratory freshwater fish, kanakana face a combination of pressures, including pollution, barriers to upstream migration such as dams and culverts, and ongoing habitat loss.
Formal monitoring of the species only began in 2008, meaning there is still much to learn about kanakana and their remarkable life cycle. Building this knowledge is essential to giving this taonga its best chance of survival.
Hokonui Rūnanga is one of 18 rūnanga of Ngāi Tahu. Riki's kōrero took attendees through the vital restoration mahi underway for kanakana, bringing together mātauranga Māori and Western science through surveys, riparian planting and innovative breeding programmes.
The health of kanakana is closely tied to the health of our freshwater systems, making them a valuable indicator of how our awa are faring. Protecting them goes hand in hand with restoring and rehabilitating streams. Riki spoke to the importance of raising awareness of kanakana, helping people reconnect with the value of this ancient taonga.
Protecting kanakana, Riki taught us, takes not only science, but the knowledge held within our communities and passed down through generations.
You can support the restoration of our waterways and help educate others about our native freshwater species by adopting a stream near you through our Awhi Awa | Embrace A Stream initiative:
